NPL Site Narrative for Brodhead Creek

BRODHEAD CREEKStroudsburg, Pennsylvania

Conditions at listing (December 1982): The Brodhead Creek Site covers 12 acres in Stroudsburg, Monroe County, Pennsylvania. From 1888 to 1944, a coal gasification plant operated there, disposing of 3 to 8 million gallons of coal tar. In 1981, the tar was found to be seeping into Brodhead Creek, a heavily used trout fishing stream. Ground water near the site was also contaminated with toxic organic chemicals associated with coal tar.

In fall 1981, using about $450,000 in CERCLA emergency funds, EPA took steps to stop the seepage. These actions included, in part, construction of filter fences and an underflow dam, construction of an underground slurry wall to contain the wastes and prevent uncontaminated ground water from entering, and partial excavation of coal-tar-contaminated soil. In addition, the current landowner pumped about 10,000 gallons of coal tar out of the ground.

Status (July 1983): On May 23, 1983, the Federal Government filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to recover costs incurred by EPA and the Coast Guard in the response.

EPA and the current landowner have installed monitoring wells to determine the extent of ground water contamination. EPA is also preparing a Remedial Action Master Plan outlining the investigations needed to determine the full extent of cleanup required at the site. It will guide further actions at the site.

For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at ATSDR - ToxFAQs (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/index.asp) or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.